Hormones and Exercise

Inappropriate Exercise and Hormonal Imbalance Can Affect the Body

Nowadays, exercise and sports are widely popular among all age groups, with the belief that exercising leads to good health, slows down aging, and prolongs life. However, the reality is that for some people, certain exercises can worsen their health, accelerate aging, cause weakness, irritability, sleep disturbances, fluctuating body weight, and in some, muscle and joint injuries.

The reason is that the exercise regimen might not be suitable for one’s physical condition (Improper Exercise) or may be too intense (Overtrain). Importantly, exercising unsuitably for one’s hormone levels, especially for those with hormonal imbalances, is a significant concern. This issue is often found in people over the age of 35, those under stress, or those engaging in intensive labor.

For those over the age of 35, the body begins to clearly deteriorate, and various systems start to fluctuate, especially hormones. It’s found that vital hormones for repair and body enhancement, like Growth hormone and hormones that keep the body active and robust like Testosterone, significantly decrease. Likewise, hormones that control blood sugar levels and metabolism, such as Insulin and Thyroid Hormone, also undergo changes. Therefore, people in this age group should be particularly cautious in selecting their exercise routines.

 

For those under high stress or with certain chronic diseases, it’s crucial to beware of Adrenal Fatigue due to when stressed, the adrenal glands are stimulated to produce a large amount of Cortisol to decrease inflammation and balance blood sugar levels. However, with continuous stimulation, these glands can become fatigued and unable to produce hormones adequately, leading to Hormonal Insufficiency.

And for those over 35, recovery tends to be slower, and physical symptoms of Burn Out become apparent, including:

• Feeling tired in the morning or having difficulty waking up
• Feeling sleepy in the afternoon
• Craving sweets or desserts regularly
• Stimulating the body with coffee or other caffeinated beverages like tea, soda, energy drinks
• Fluctuations in weight unrelated to diet or exercise
• Difficulty sleeping, waking up easily, or not sleeping soundly
• Chronic inflammation throughout the body
• Decreased immune system
• Getting sick easily

Moreover, excessive Stimulating or Cardio Exercise such as running, cycling, dancing, boxing can lead to stress (Stress) and stimulate the adrenal glands to work unusually hard, resulting in Adrenal Fatigue as well. Therefore, such exercise might actually accelerate body degradation instead of being beneficial. Consideration must be comprehensive

Those at risk of hormonal imbalance should opt for a diverse range of exercises, Cross Training, rather than focusing solely on Cardio Exercise. Recommended exercises include:

• Calming Exercise such as yoga, Pilates, Tai Chi, slow walking, stretching can help reduce Cortisol and Insulin levels, allowing the adrenal glands to rest and recover.

• Resistance Exercise like weight lifting, resistance band workout, Body Weight Training, swimming stimulates the production of Growth Hormone and Testosterone, which are hormones that repair the body, build muscle, and stimulate fat burning.

• Stimulating Exercise or Cardio, for those with abnormal hormone levels or in risk groups, may need to limit to only 1 – 2 times a week
  
  

Therefore, before exercising, it’s crucial to know your hormonal condition to plan an appropriate and safe workout routine, preventing unintended harm to your body and truly benefiting from the sports or exercises you love.